


A Pirate's Life For Me

by musikfurfreiheit



Series: The Pirate Universe [4]
Category: Delain (Band), Nightwish, Within Temptation (Band)
Genre: Gen, Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 02:32:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5691340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musikfurfreiheit/pseuds/musikfurfreiheit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Story Of Sharon</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The ocean is a pirate’s best friend. The waves rock them to sleep and wake them up in the morning. It provides food and even water for those who like salty drinks. In return they wear the scent of the ocean with them, as if they want to thank Mother Earth for this miracle. Right now, Sharon felt like the ocean was her only friend, and her biggest enemy at the same time.

Almost half of the crew had gotten sick from drinking sea water. It had been their own decision to drink it, but Sharon still felt like it was her fault. She was the technical brain of this ship, she and Martijn decided about their locations and destinations. It was their fault they got lost at sea. Jeroen was running out of food to cook, there only was some rum left to drink. They had been sailing a lot longer than expected and everyone desired to feel land underneath their feet. The crew was in a bad mood and hungry. They acted lazy and were not willing to do anything more than their daily duties. No matter how positive Sharon usually was, she could not handle this.

The only thing that comforted her was the sound of the waves. It was almost as if the ocean wanted to apologize for bringing her so much trouble. It was a violent image to see the waves crash against the sides of the ship, but the sound was comforting. Sharon felt the desire to just jump overboard and become one with the ocean. No more worries, no more complaining pirates, no more rum for breakfast. She just wanted to go swimming for a few minutes, maybe half an hour. Floor would probably yell at her, and she had every right to do so. Swimming in unknown waters was a very bad idea. Floor just wanted to protect her, and even though she could be harsh, Sharon was glad with that. She dealt with most problems with the crew and tried to keep the complainers away from her. She did a wonderful job, but Sharon just wanted it to be over.

Sharon opened her eyes as the door of the office opened. Mentally she was already preparing herself for another round of complaining, but she smiled as Floor entered. Calmly the other captain walked through the office and stood behind her. She let her hands rest on Sharon’s shoulders and lightly squeezed them.

‘I have some good news,’ Floor said. ‘We’re close to land. You can relax, it will all be over soon.’

‘Thank every god that has ever existed,’ Sharon sighed.’ And thank you.’

Floor didn’t say anything, she just answered with a gentle massage and a smile that was invisible for her fellow captain. For almost an entire minute the office was filled with only the sounds of the waves and their breathing. Sharon could feel the tension fading, as if Floor’s hands absorbed all of it. It would all be over soon, and soon couldn’t come fast enough.

The closer they came to the harbor, the more the ship came to life. All pirates gathered on the deck, fighting to get a glance of the land. They all wanted to be the first one to touch the ground, but so did Sharon and Floor. the pirates had to move for their captains, who tried not to smile as they stepped off the ship. A few unlucky pirates had to stay behind on the ship and Sharon was happy when the sisters volunteered. Apparently it was easier for Merel to tech her sister to play chess on an empty ship.

While the ship was turned into a chess school, the captains followed Jeroen to the market. Sharon’s stomach got excited as she saw and smelled all the different kinds of food. After only eating fish for over a week, everything looked more than appetizing. She wanted to taste everything, but as soon as the food was paid and the pirates started carrying everything to the ship, Floor pulled her away.

‘Come with me.’

‘Where are we going?’

‘You’ll see,’ Floor smiled. ‘It’s a surprise.’

Sharon followed her through the streets of the town as she looked around her. It always was exciting to visit news towns – it was one of her favorite parts about living on a ship. She could see the world, meet new people and be amazed by everything around her. Floor seemed to know her way around the town and Sharon wondered if her fellow captain had been here before. But most of all, she wondered where Floor was taking her. She got her answer only a minute later when they stopped in front of a bar.

‘You could have just told me you wanted to get drunk.’

‘We’re not here for drinks,’ Floor smiled. ‘We’re going to stay here.’

‘Stay here?’

‘Yes, for tonight. We’re going to rent a room so you can have the rest you deserve. A night away from drunk, loud and complaining pirates.’

Sharon could feel her heart melting. A night away from her crew sounded wonderful. She loved her pirates, but she really did need a break from them. She was already dreaming of a full night’s rest and a breakfast with actual food while Floor was checking in. She almost ran up the stairs and let herself fall down on the bed. The room was bigger than the one in the ship, but it wasn’t as cozy. Sharon didn’t care. She would get some rest and that was all that mattered.

‘I could fall asleep right now.’

‘Oh, that’s too bad, I wanted to give you a massage,’ Sharon immediately sat up when she heard the words and Floor laughed. ‘That’s what I thought.’

Sharon felt the mattress  moving behind her and smiled as she felt Floor’s hands on her shoulders. A soft moan escaped her as the massage started and Floor giggled. Once again she realized how lucky she was to have Floor at her side. They were the perfect team, with the perfect balance between piracy and doing what’s right.

Floor was fierce and protected the people she cared about; she had everything that Sharon lacked. Not a lot of people were aware that Floor also had a gentle side, but Sharon knew it existed. Maybe it was reserved exclusively for her. Floor wasn’t keen on being touched, but there were exceptions. Sharon loved how Floor would drape her arm about Sharon’s waist. It was comforting, a reminder that Floor would always be there for her. And besides the full night’s rest that she was about to get, that feeling of security was all she needed.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a surprise for Sharon when the song of birds on the windowsill woke her up. After always being roused by yelling pirates, this made a very nice change. There was a time where birds would wake her every morning. Sometimes it would be the tiny birds who lived in town, sometimes the seagulls who circled above the harbor. Hearing seagulls usually meant she’d wake up next to a grumpy, naked pirate. Now, there was a beautiful woman lying next to her, one of her arms still draped around Sharon’s waist. As desperate as she had been the previous day, she was happy today. Who would have thought that a good night’s rest could have this result?

Sharon figured Floor also deserved some rest. After all, she had been dealing with the same crew and the same problems. Carefully she crawled out of Floor’s arms and tiptoed out of the room after looking back at her fellow captain once more. She really had to find a way to thank her for this.

The walk from the room to the pub reminded Sharon of the time before she became a pirate. Sneaking out, being looked at by everyone – once she’d been used to all of it, but now it made her very uncomfortable. She just tried to ignore the glances, but there was one she simply could not ignore. She would recognize Anneke’s stare and red hair everywhere. Anneke had seen her, had seen that Sharon had noticed her – Sharon couldn’t move. It was the first time in 5 years that they saw each other, the first time since she’d just up and left without a single word. After what felt like minutes, Anneke got up and walked towards her. Sharon couldn’t believe herself. She was a pirate, a captain even, but she was also scared of her own past.

‘So you’re not dead,’ Anneke spoke, her voice colder than Sharon had ever heard it before.

‘Why would you think I’m dead?’

‘Oh, I don’t know. Five years ago, you left with a captain and I haven’t heard from you ever since.’

‘That’s strange, our ship is quite well-known.’

Sharon knew how stupid her answer was the moment it left her mouth. Her hands were sweating and her heart was racing, her brain wasn’t working. The Flareon wasn’t a famous ship, Sharon wasn’t a famous captain. There was no way Anneke could have known she wasn’t dead.

‘So you live on a ship now?’ Anneke said. ‘Good, then you can take me and Jake to another city. You’re not the only one who wants a new start.’

Sharon froze for a second as she heard the name. Sure, she still thought about the boy, but she’d never thought she would see him again. Jake was a part of her past, not her present. She was glad when Anneke just turned around and sat down at the table again, giving Sharon the chance to leave the bar. The fresh air didn’t manage to clear her mind, however. She could only think about the young boy, about what he would look like now. Five years were a long time in a child’s life, would he still even remember her?

A knot had tied itself around her heart by the time she reached the ship. Most pirates had already returned to the Flareon and they all greeted their captain as she entered the ship. Sharon didn’t say a single word. As fast as possible, without drawing too much attention, she made her way towards the captain’s office. Her hands were shaking as she tried to open the door, which took a lot longer than usual. In the corner of her eye she could see Charlotte walking over, making her even more nervous. She didn’t want anyone to see her like this, she had to keep the act up. An hour ago she’d been completely relaxed, but now she was close to a complete nervous breakdown.

Eventually Sharon managed to open the door of the office, but she was followed by Charlotte as she entered. Sharon didn’t trust her voice to send the redhead away, so she just ignored her. Looking down at her hands, she sat down in the chair in the corner, hoping the woman in front of her would leave if she kept ignoring her. She didn’t. Instead Charlotte kneeled down in front of her and placed her hand on Sharon’s knee.

‘Are you okay?’

‘I honestly don’t know,’ Sharon sighed.

‘Did you have a fight with Floor?’ Charlotte carefully asked.

‘No, no, Floor doesn’t know about this.’

‘Should I get her?’

‘No, she’s probably still sleeping.’

‘I’m not,’ Floor spoke as she entered the office. ‘What happened? Why didn’t you wake me?’

Sharon didn’t answer. She looked at Charlotte for a second before the redhead mumbled something about needing to speak to her sister. She left the office after looking back once and closed the door behind her.

‘What happened?’

‘Anneke is here.’

‘Oh,’ Floor said before she kneeled down in front of the other captain. ‘Did she say something?’

‘She didn’t really seem happy about the fact that I just left without telling her anything. She wants us to bring her and Jake to another city.’

‘Who’s Jake?’

‘Her son,’ Sharon mumbled. ‘I can’t do it, Floor. They’re a part of my past, a closed chapter. I can’t have them on the ship.’

‘Why not? What’s the worst that could happen?’ Sharon only answered with a shrugging shoulder, she honestly had no idea.   
‘Hey, this could be a good thing. You left them once and you felt horrible about it. Now you can do something for them, you can make it up to them. I don’t know your friend, but you know that I’ll always be here for you. You’ll feel a lot better after doing this, I know you.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘100% positive,’ Floor smiled before she wrapped her arms around the other woman’s body.

Sharon still wasn’t sure this was a good idea, but she trusted Floor. She always had and she always would, even it was on a trip to the past she so desperately tried to leave behind.


	3. Chapter 3

The new guests of the Flareon were welcomed with open arms by most pirates. Some simply didn't care about them, and Sharon just wanted to protect herself. The second she saw Jake entering the ship, the knot around her heart had tightened. The last time she'd seen him, he'd been only a toddler. Now he still was a kid, but Sharon could already see he would become a handsome man one day. His eyes were bright blue, his hair was dark and longer than 8-year old boys usually wore it. He had a wide, genuine smile, just like his mother usually had. Every fiber in her body wanted to run towards him, hug him and apologize for leaving without a single word. Luckily, her mind was stronger than her body. Jake was part of her past and he had to stay there.

As soon as the pirates were done welcoming them, Sharon locked herself in the office. She couldn't risk Jake coming towards her, not yet, she wasn't ready for that. Just seeing him was already a huge step.

Sharon knew they were in good hands. Floor was now introducing them to Ruud, someone they knew was great with young boys. He would take care of Jake, probably also teach him to play some melodies on his guitar. Most of all, he would keep him safe. She might not want the boy in her life, but she still wanted him alive.

It wasn't long after the guests had boarded that Sharon heard her pirates preparing the ship for departure. She was happy with that, they couldn't leave soon enough. Most of all Sharon just wanted to stay in the office until Jake and Anneke left again, but she knew that was impossible, especially considering  weather. The sun was already setting, but the darkness of the sky was caused by overhanging clouds. It would rain for sure, and she was fairly certain she could feel a storm coming their way. It was probably safer to stay in the harbor, but they had to reach the next town as soon as possible. Jake and Anneke had to go back to being a part of her past.

Sharon turned out to be right about the storm. The sky became darker and kept filling with clouds. The first raindrops followed a few hours after they had left the harbor. The ocean seemed to become nervous and the waves grew higher. The rocking of the ship became more violent, making the wood crack loudly. Sharon knew at least one pirate would get seasick this night. Personally, she also wasn't a fan of storms. The loud noises from the thunder and the waves secretly still scared her, but luckily the rum always managed to comfort her. After one loud round of thunder, Sharon felt her body longing for alcohol. Stried to keep her balance as she made her way towards the booze storage. One advantage of being a captain was having a door in the office that led directly into the storage. No need to go out into the rain for her. Just when she opened the storage, her office door opened. Floor's hair and clothes were soaked and she obviously was more than annoyed with the gods of the skies.

'You look like you could also use some rum.'

'2 bottles, please,' Floor sighed. 'Wait, no, make it 4.'

Sharon rolled her eyes as she heard the number, but decided to lecture her co-captain later. She understood Floor's need for alcohol, but 4 bottles was going a bit too far.

The noises from the sleeping compartment were clearly audible in the storage room. A bunch of pirates was singing songs to distract themselves from the raging storms outside. Sharon could hear Ruud's guitar between the singing every now and then, and she wondered if he’d had to fight Merel for the instrument. Softly, she hummed along with the melody as she made her way towards the rum. She was surprised once she reached the box with the bottles. Not because something was wrong with the alcohol, but because one of her pirates was in the corner. Merel had curled herself into a little ball, her knees pulled up to her chest and her hands over her ears. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her breaths were shallow. Sharon instantly forgot about the rum and kneeled in front of the young girl. Carefully she took Merel's hands in her own, and she felt her heart breaking as she saw the fear in the pirate's eyes. It was almost as if the storm was reflected in them.

'Hey, are you okay?'

As soon as Sharon spoke the words she realized how stupid the question was. Of course she was not okay, and Merel confirmed that by wildly shaking her head.

'I-I'm scared,' Merel mumbled.

'Of the thunder?'

'I know it's stupid but-'

'No, no, it's not,' Sharon assured her as she wrapped her arms around the young pirate. 'Do you hear the others singing? That's because they're scared too., it's not stupid at all.'

'I bet Charlie isn't scared...'

'Should I get your sister?'

'No!' Merel shouted as she grabbed Sharon's shirt. 'Don't leave me alone.'

'It's okay, I'll stay. Floor!'

A few seconds passed before the clicking of Floor's boots sounded. Once again Sharon rolled her eyes, she really had to talk with her fellow captain.

'What is it? Did one of our idiots drink everything already?'

'No, go find Charlotte.'

'Are you serious?' Floor asked. 'I just changed into my dry clothes, can't you go?'

'Floor, go.'

Mumbling followed the captain as she left again. Another clap of thunder roared before Sharon even had the chance to say something. She tightened her grip on Merel as she felt the young girl tensing in her arms. It was useless trying to reassure her; Merel wouldn't listen to her anyway. The captain just kept hugging her and hummed along with the other pirates until the door of the storage opened again. Charlotte ran inside and immediately took over Sharon's spot, whispering comforting words to her little sister. Sharon felt there was no reason for her to stay and left after grabbing a few bottles of rum.

Quietly she closed the door of the office. She expected to find Floor in some stage of undressing, but another surprise waited for her. Anneke sat on the chair in the corner, clearly waiting for her. For a second Sharon wondered if she had to offer her one of the bottle, but then Anneke spoke.

'I heard you comforting that girl.'

'Merel, yes. Why?'

'Jake is scared, too,' Anneke said. 'He's with Ruud now, and singing with the others. You could’ve at least checked on him.'

'I was busy.'

'Not too busy to stay with Merel.'

With those words Anneke left the office again, leaving the door open behind her. The storm entered the ship, but it wasn't as powerful as the storm that Anneke had unleashed within the captain.


	4. Chapter 4

The storm outside had faded by the time the sun and the pirates rose again. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the storm that raged within Sharon’s mind. She didn’t dare to close her eyes, afraid that if she opened them again she would wake up in her past. A past filled with one man after another, Jake’s pleading eyes in the evening when he didn’t want to go to bed. A past where Anneke would attempt to cook, before they ended up going out for dinner after all. A past without Floor.

It almost scared Sharon to imagine a life without her fellow captain. For five years already, Floor’s face was the first thing she saw in the morning – if Floor hadn’t gotten up before her, that was. Her co-captain knew every part of her and felt exactly what she needed. She still didn’t know what she and Floor had, exactly, but she knew it was perfect. Sharon also knew Floor had slept even less than her, so as quietly as possible she crawled out of bed. The only thing from her past that she still used was her ability to get dressed without making a single sound, and in moments like these she was very grateful for that skill.

Floor’s soft snoring still sounded as Sharon closed the door of the room behind her. She made her way towards the kitchen and smiled when she saw that Jeroen was already wide awake. He was whistling while preparing breakfast and at the same time teaching Mike to do the same. The fact that Mike had been working in the kitchen for over a year now and still couldn’t whistle meant that Jeroen made a better cook than whistling teacher.

The captain thanked Jeroen with a smile as he handed her a plate. The bread smelled delicious and she could already hear stomach begging her to eat the food. Licking her lips, Sharon made her way towards the office and was surprised to find Charlotte standing next to the door. It was still early in the morning, what could already have gone wrong?

‘Good morning, captain.’

‘Good morning,’ Sharon smiled as she opened the door. ‘Do you want to come in?’

‘Yes, thank you.’

 ‘Is something wrong?’ the captain asked as she sat down behind her desk.

‘Oh, no. I just wanted to thank you for yesterday, for looking after Merel. I had no idea she was scared.’

‘It’s nothing, she’s part of the crew, of course I’ll look after her. How is she now?’

‘She’s fighting Ruud for the guitar again, I’d say she’s fine,’ Charlotte smiled. ‘What about you? You weren’t that great either yesterday.’

‘Oh, yes, don’t worry about that. Everything will be fine soon.’

‘I’m glad to hear that. And, if you ever need anything, just let me know. If you need a break or something, I can always step in.’

‘That’s a nice offer but-’

Before Sharon had the chance to finish her sentence a loud shout echoed through the entire ship. Sharon and Charlotte looked at each other for half a second before runningto the door. Something was wrong, terribly wrong, and when they reached the kitchen they saw that they were right. There was blood on the counter and on the knife that was lying on the floor. Mike’s hand was also drenched in blood and the hurt pirate was still screaming as they arrived only a second before Floor.

‘What happened here?!’ Floor immediately demanded.

‘Mike cut off a piece of his finger!’ Jeroen yelled in order to be heard over Mike’s yelling. ‘Someone please get him out of here and get him fixed! And get someone else to help me!’

The captains acted fast. Sharon immediately grabbed Mike’s arm and pulled him out of the kitchen. Floor went looking for the first aid kit Sharon put _somewhere_ in the ship and ordered Charlotte to help Jeroen with cleaning up the mess. Luckily, it didn’t take Floor too long to find the kit and Mike’s wound turned out not to be too serious. There was only a small piece of his finger missing and it was a clean cut. Sharon was sure it would heal soon, but it was also obviously he wouldn’t be able to work in the kitchen for a while.

‘Do you think Jeroen is mad at me?’ Mike asked when Sharon was done bandaging him up.

‘No, he’s not. He was just stressed because he needed to get breakfast ready. Jeroen cares about you and I’m pretty sure he’ll be glad when you’re back.’

‘But, who will help him now?’

‘Don’t worry, we have that covered,’ Floor spoke as she entered the office. ‘Jake took over and according to Jeroen, he’s doing a good job.’

‘I hope they don’t get too attached to each other,’ Sharon mumbled. ‘Jake will be gone soon.’

A silence fell in the office and Sharon looked the plate with breakfast that was still on the desk. She hadn’t had the chance yet to eat it, but her appetite had disappeared after working on Mike’s finger. She heard the door of the office close and when she looked up, she saw the pirate had left. It was just her and Floor now.

‘I know you don’t want them around, but maybe you should think about it. Jake is having a great time on the ship, he’s doing good in the kitchen. We could really use some new blood on the ship.’

‘No way,’ Sharon immediately said. ‘He leaves as soon as we reach the next town. He is not staying on the ship! He’s way too young, it’s too dangerous. No, he’s not staying.’

‘Sharon, I’m really getting worried about you,’ Floor said as she leaned on the desk. ‘You’re so stressed that even a person you haven’t seen in 5 years can see it.’

‘What did Anneke say?’

‘She suggested that you may need a break, and I think she’s right. You’ve handled so many problems lately, you should rest. Charlotte can take over for a while, there’s nothing to worry about.’

‘I am not taking a break,’ Sharon hissed. ‘And it would be nice if you would leave now, I have work to do.’

She heard Floor mumbling an answer before she got up and left. Sharon immediately regretted her reaction. Floor only wanted what was best for her, and a break would probably be just that. She didn’t want any responsibilities as long as she had Anneke and Jake on her mind, but at the same time her tasks distracted her. She couldn’t take a step back. Not because she didn’t trust Charlotte, because she knew the redhead would do a great job. No, she couldn’t do it because she was  scared. What if she took a break, and it turned out that she wasn’t meant to live a pirate’s life after all?


	5. Chapter 5

This was exactly what Sharon needed. A chance, a chance to prove herself, a chance to show Jake and Anneke how dangerous the life of a pirate was. A chance to prove that she belonged on this ship and they didn’t. They were safely hidden in the heart of the ship while Sharon stood on the deck. Her hand rested on her sword, her heart was racing in her chest. The last time they tried to plunder a ship it hadn’t been very peaceful, and Sharon had a feeling this ship wouldn’t be going down without a fight either. Floor stood right next to her in the same position, Merel on her other side with her sword drawn. They were ready for whatever was coming their way.

The captains of the Flareon never even got the chance to propose a deal to the other ship. The other captain had already decided he wanted to have nothing to do with a bunch of pirates, not even potentially friendly ones. Cannon fire towards the Flareon was opened immediately. Holes were shot into the Flareon’s sails, and the hostile crew got ready to enter the pirate ship at the first opportunity.

Floor and Sharon reacted immediately and ordered their men to fire back. Sharon felt bad for every cannon ball that found its way into the hull of the other ship, but this wasn’t just about plundering anymore. She had to protect her crew and her ship. Without a second thought she drew her sword, almost synchronously with Floor. Sharon didn’t like fighting, but she would die for her ship and almost every single person on it.

The pirates loudly shouted as they stormed onto the other ship, quickly followed by their captains. Sharon tried to stay close to Floor, but it wasn’t long before she lost her fellow captain. Pirates were everywhere and the sounds of clashing swords echoed over the entire ship. Sharon was sure Anneke and Jake could hear all of it, even from their position belowdecks.

It wasn’t long before Sharon saw the first man fall down, dead before his body even touched the wood. She was glad and disappointed at the same time as she turned her back to the man. Glad because the man wasn’t one of theirs, disappointed because it had been a pirate that killed him. She hated it when people died during the plundering. Hurting them was okay, that was what the captains wanted them to do, but killing was something else entirely.

Sharon didn’t have much time to mourn over the death of the man. Another man, armed with a long sword that reflected the sun as it swung towards her, came running her way. In a reflex Sharon lifted her own sword and blocked the attack. The man was surprisingly strong, something Sharon hadn’t expected since he was a skinny man. He proved to be a great fighter, obviously better than Sharon. She might have experience with sword fighting, she’d never fought anyone like him. Sharon knew she wouldn’t be able to win this fight and she started looking for Floor and Merel. She needed help, but wasn’t able to find them before it was too late.

The sound of metal cutting through fabric sounded before a sharp pain spread through the captain’s shoulder. She heard her sword hitting the wood of the deck as it slipped from her fingers. Her left hand immediately grabbed her shoulder and she knew it was a bad decision as another shot of pain followed. Sharon felt the warm blood running over her fingers, felt how it stained her shirt as she tried to keep the blood inside her body. She knew she had to ignore the pain, pick up her sword and fight on, but she couldn’t. With every drop of blood that slipped between her fingers she felt her confidence fading. She couldn’t win this fight, she had failed at proving herself.

Sharon had always said she would die for her ship, but just when she thought that moment had come, Merel decided otherwise. The captain saw the young girl’s sword swinging through the air in the corner of her eye. A loud scream followed, then a bloody hand holding a sword dropped to the ground. Sharon was surprised when she saw the man in front of her wrap his handless arm in his shirt as he ran away, but she was proud. Merel hadn’t killed him, she’d wounded him, just like she was taught.

After that everything went fast. The corners of her sight started fading and the voices around her sounded distant. Her body felt heavy and her knees weak, as if they no longer were able to carry her. Luckily two strong arms wrapped themselves around Sharon’s waist before she dropped to the ground. She could vaguely recognize Floor’s scent before the world around her turned completely dark.

 

When Sharon opened her eyes again, she was surprised to be met by the sight of the inside of her bedroom. Sharp pain shot through her body when she tried to move and two hands immediately stopped her attempts. Charlotte gently pushed her down again and grabbed the glass of water that was waiting on the nightstand. Sharon hadn’t even realized she was thirsty until she saw the drink, but she wanted answers first.

‘What happened?’ she managed to utter.

‘You got hurt,’ Charlotte answered as she sat down next to her on the bed. ‘One of the other ship’s men cut into your shoulder and you lost a lot of blood. Luckily it was a clean, shallow cut and Floor managed to bandage it up.’

‘How did the raid go?’

‘We… lost. Floor surrendered when you fainted. We came back to our ship and left them alone. Everyone helped you on board and we’ve been keeping an eye on you for the last half hour. We’ve been really worried.’

‘That’s sweet, but I’m fine. I need to find Floor.’

‘No way! You need to rest!’ Charlotte said as she pushed Sharon down again. ‘You don’t have to worry about the ship, I’m taking over. You need to rest and I’ll keep your chair warm until your shoulder is healed again.’

There was no way Sharon could win this. Pain shot through her body every time she tried to move, she was tired, and Charlotte was right. She needed rest and Charlotte was capable, this was the best solution.

‘Fine,’ Sharon sighed. ‘But I have to warn you, be careful with Anneke. Don’t let her get into your head, she knows how to manipulate people.’

‘I’ll keep it in mind. I have to go back to the deck now, but Merel is standing outside in case you need anything. Just call if you need her.’

Silence filled the room as Charlotte closed the door behind her. For a second, Sharon could hear the redhead talking to her sister. After that, there only was silence. Carefully, Sharon touched the bandages of her shoulder and hissed as she felt the pain return. There was nothing she could do but sleep, and if she was really honest, she didn’t really mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Living the life of a regular pirate was a whole new experience for Sharon. She had to admit that she still had privileges, like Jeroen bringing breakfast to her bed and not having a daily task, but it was a nice change. Especially now the pain was really starting to fade, she was able to start doing things again. In the first two days Floor had helped her eat since her left hand wasn’t willing to obey yet. Now she could eat on her own, get out of bed without pain and explore her own ship like a tourist.

She got to see what exactly the pirates did in their free time. Apparently Merel was the undefeated chess champion, but lost every game that involved cards. She’d also discovered that their youngest pirate had a pet fish, one that she’d caught herself and named Goldbeard. Another thing Sharon had discovered was that Jake was a curious young boy, just like his mother. He’d been asking everyone about her, wanted to know everything about the woman Anneke had been talking about. The crew had told him several stories, some more true than others – but not once had Jake come to her and she was glad about that.

In the distance, Sharon could already see the harbor they were heading to. Anneke and Jake would be gone soon, Sharon would be able to say goodbye to her past and look at the future again. She was looking forward to being a captain again. No more wandering around without a purpose, no more wondering what Floor was doing. No longer the same thing over and over again.

In her time off, she’d really taken the time to get to know her newest pirates a bit better. She’d spent a lot of time with Merel, had watched her play the guitar for hours. By now she could exactly predict the next move the girl’s fingers would make and get it right every time. It really was time she learned a new melody. Sharon loved having the musicians around, but this was just getting annoying.

Something else that the captain had discovered while watching Merel play, were the tattoos on her wrists. She’d seen the exact same ones on the wrist of the temporary captain. Sharon could easily recognize the constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, but she could only guess after their meaning. What made these stars so special for the sisters? Why were they connected through it? She’d always know the two girls had a special bond, but now she saw that their relationship had more layers than she thought. It reminded her of her own bond with Floor, yet it was so different at the same time.

Sharon was pulled from her thoughts as the deck slowly filled with pirates. She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed how close they had gotten to the harbor. They would arrive soon and everyone got ready to finish their tasks before they could leave the ship. Merel had nothing to do while the ship was entering the harbor; she just kept on playing the same song while everyone around her worked. Sharon couldn’t do the same. She no longer could sit down when she saw Anneke and Jake on the deck with their belongings in their hands, followed by Floor and Charlotte. She was glad that they would finally leave, that she would probably never see them again, but she still wanted to say goodbye to this part of her past.

‘So, this is it then,’ Sharon smiled as she stood next to Floor. ‘Time to say goodbye.’

‘Sharon, you know it doesn’t have to be like this,’ Anneke said, resting her hand on Jake’s shoulder.

‘No way, he’s not staying on the ship. He’s much too young.’

‘That’s not what I meant. Why don’t you come with us?’ Anneke asked with a face that looked _too_ innocent. ‘You, me, and Jake, just like old times. You’re not the captain anymore, so you can pretty much leave whenever you want. There’s nothing for you to do here and I’ve seen how bored you are. You’re basically useless. Come with me and Jake, let your shoulder heal properly and live a safe life.’

Sharon knew Anneke was right. At the moment she was a useless pirate, and a life on land was safer – but it also was a life without Floor. The adrenaline when they plundered a ship, the wind playing through her hair when she stood on the deck, even the smile of her pirates wishing her a good morning. She could live without all of that, but not without Floor.

‘No,’ Sharon firmly said. ‘Floor and I made a deal, we’re sailing this ship together until the day it sinks. This ship is my home and I’m not leaving it.’

‘So you’re choosing that woman over your own blood?’

If eyes could kill, Anneke would have been more than dead. She knew she couldn’t trust the redhead, that her evil side was stronger than her mind. She should had known that Anneke would use her darkest secret against her. Anger was boiling inside of her, making her unable to move or say anything.

‘Sharon…?’ Floor asked worriedly. ‘What does she mean?’

‘Oh, you didn’t tell her?’ Anneke laughed. ‘Go ahead, reveal your big secret. Don’t worry about Jake, he already knows that you’re his mother. Oops, I shouldn’t have said that…’

Sharon could almost feel the ground disappearing underneath her feet. She knew Anneke always got what she wanted, but she never thought that the woman she’d once called her friend would do this. It was supposed to be their secret, not even the boy himself was supposed to know.

‘You have a child?’ Floor asked surprised.

‘I’m so sorry I never told you,’ Sharon mumbled, feeling the tears stinging behind her eyes.  ‘I didn’t think I would ever see him again. I never wanted him, I didn’t want to be a mother and I still don’t know which of my clients is his father. Anneke has been taking care of him ever since he was born and the evening that I met you… I saw my chance and I took it. A new life away from it all, away from him. He was only three years old, he probably wouldn’t even remember me.’

‘You never wanted me?!’

It was the first time in years that Sharon heard her son’s voice. She could easily hear the emotions in his voice, the hurt and disappointment. Anneke might have tried to prepare him, this was something he couldn’t be ready for. Sharon kneeled in front of him and laid her left hand on his shoulder. It only rested there for a second before he shook it off, but Sharon couldn’t blame him.

‘It’s not that I didn’t want _you_ , Jake, I didn’t want to be a mother and I still don’t. Anneke is doing such a great job  raising you and I know that you will be an incredible man one day, but I won’t be there to see it. I belong on this ship, right next to Floor. I can’t leave this for you. The bond between Floor and me is something that you and I will never have. I would die for Floor, right here and now, but I couldn’t do that for you. Anneke is the right mother for you, not me. I’m a pirate, not a mother.’

For a few seconds Jake’s blue eyes stared at her as the words got through to him, then he turned around. Without looking back once he ran off the ship, followed quickly by Anneke. Sharon no longer was able to fight her tears, but a hand came to rest on her back before the first tear rolled down to her chin. Carefully Floor wrapped her arms around her and pulled her close.

‘Please tell me I made the right choice,’ Sharon sobbed.

‘You did,’ Floor assured her. ‘And let me tell you something, I would die for you too.’

Sharon smiled through her tears as Floor spoke. Floor was right, this was the right choice. Life on land was nothing for her. She needed to be surrounded by the ocean and stand by Floor’s side. She was meant to life a pirate’s life.


End file.
